Okay, so, that whole thing about accounts getting "shadowbanned" or the algorithm just deciding to tank your reach? I think I'm starting to see it with some of the gouache tutorials I've been posting on TikTok.
Like, I'll get a video of me just doing a really simple wash technique, something I thought was pretty straightforward and maybe helpful, and it'll get like, 100 views total. Then I'll post a sped-up video of me painting my cat, Bartholomew, looking super derpy, and it blows up to 10k. Bartholomew, of all things! haha. I'm not saying cats aren't great, but it's so hard to tell what the platforms actually want or if they're just messing with us. It makes me wonder if all the effort I put into explaining the pigment mixing or the paper buckling is just… wasted on them? It’s frustrating because I want to share the skill of it, you know? Omg, anyone else feel like they're just throwing paint at a wall and hoping something sticks with the algorithm gods lately?
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They want whatever gets clicks. Simple as that. Doesn't matter if it's helpful, or skillful, or even makes sense. People see a cat, they click. They see a technical demo, they scroll past unless they're already looking for that specific thing. Platforms optimize for attention, not education. You can try to game it, but it's a losing battle over time. Focus on the people who are looking for the technique, not the algorithm.
Joder, I feel this so hard. My latest glaze test, something I spent ages calibrating, just sat there. But then a quick video of me almost dropping a pot? 5k views. Bartholomew sounds like a genius marketing strategist, haha. Maybe we just need to put our cats in the kiln?
omg seriously! Bartholomew is just naturally gifted, I guess. maybe i should put him on my payroll haha. and putting cats in kilns? brilliant! though i think my partner would kill me if i tried that with their cat lol. it’s just so discouraging when you put real effort into something technical and it flops, you know? like, why are we even bothering with the nuances of a perfect glaze or a subtle watercolor wash if the algorithm prefers a fluffy butt?
haha, you're so right about the clicks, it's just the worst lol. Bartholomew is definitely a natural-born influencer, who knew? I just wish the platforms rewarded the actual skill a little more, you know? Like, I love my cat, but I got into painting because I wanted to share how to do things, not just get attention for whatever silly thing I happen to be doing. It feels like such a weird tightrope to walk between making art and making content. But yeah, focusing on the people who care about the technique is probably the way to go. It's just hard not to get discouraged when the algorithm does its thing! Thanks for the reminder though, I needed that.